A good old-fashioned boozer with a Michelin-starred restaurant out back?
What’s not to like about The Masons Arms? Er, that ceiling…?

There can't be many ancient, thatched pubs in rural backwaters that retain their original bar – proper watering hole, no frills, no makeover – but which, round the back, have a Michelin-starred restaurant.

I felt stupidly overdressed, tripping past thirsty farmers in my high heels, until I realised that the Masons Arms has a split personality. You could tramp there across the fields for a cider looking like Baldrick if you wanted, or you could glam it up and be shown through to dinner cooked by Mark Dodson, formerly the head chef at the Waterside Inn at Bray.

Another surprise comes in the dining-room, where the whole ceiling is covered in a hand-painted Italianate mural – celestial scenes, pink, fleshy figures, pale-blue skies and gold. Not entirely tasteful, in my view, but others have told me they find it beautiful. It's certainly a talking (or gawping) point.

Otherwise it's wooden tables, wooden chairs and stripped floors, no fancy napery, not much to suggest Michelin at all, in fact, except for the utterly brilliant service, which stole in and out quietly – friendly enough, but barely noticed.

After snacks of warm toasted almonds, olives and some little toasts topped with duck rillettes, I chose croquette of ham hock with pea purée and mint-butter sauce (£10), typical on a menu that focuses mainly on French and British classics, with leanings towards rich nursery food. The mint-butter sauce didn't make much impression but the sweet pea purée was inspired alongside the tender, salty, shredded ham inside a delicate breadcrumbed coating.

G had thin slices of salmon marinated in soy, mirin and yuzu, with a pile of thin, curly strands of white radish and apple on top (£12.50), an unusually Eastern-inspired dish here. He didn't like the soft, moist texture of the salmon next to the crunch of the radish, sadly, but we swapped plates after a while and I did. This clean, fresh dish, light on the soy, and with a streak of citrus from the yuzu, made a palate-cleansing start, if you like that kind of thing, and I do.

Back to the comfort food for mains, though, and my monkfish loin wrapped in ham (£23.50) delivered three large, prosciutto-parcelled wedges of dense, white fish, trails of creamy potato purée and tangy notes from fresh orange pieces and a dash of balsamic reduction.

All correct and carefully timed, but somehow lacking intensity and not as inspiring as G's roulade of pork belly, braised red cabbage and apple compote (£18). I'd charge through a field of bulls, even in heels, for this. Wonderfully full-flavoured, slow-cooked pork belly, the fat rendered sticky and sweet, was formed into a round on a tart layer of well-cooked red cabbage, with apple jam lifting both, the whole plateful shiny and rich. G wouldn't swap this time, and I only got my fork in sneakily, after pointing out a very buxom figure painted on the ceiling.

For dessert a vanilla berry trifle (£7.50) was fine but a tad simple, just summer-pudding red and black berries in a light jelly, covered in unremarkable cool vanilla custard. It came with a tiny pale biscuit or two, but that was it. A nougatine millefeuille (£8) turned out to be not the multi-layered pastry but two very nutty cracknel-style round biscuits, with delicate pieces of poached pear and a gently gingery cream – lovely.

Glasses of upmarket Jeio prosecco and Brocard chablis were welcome from a wine list that could do with an injection of other interesting, more modern wines, although a note at the end of the list suggests this is about to happen.

The last in a terraced row of Georgian boatbuilders' cottages leading down to the river, this nautical-themed hotel has wonderful views of bobbing yachts. Try the braised shoulder and roast rump of lamb with sweet-potato fondant (£18.50)

Carpenter's Arms Fulbrook Hill, Burford, Oxfordshire (01993 82327)

Local ingredients are served with Mediterranean flair at this Cotswold pub. There's chorizo sautéed in red wine to start (£5.95), before breadcrumbed beef polpettes with buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and anchovies (£11.50)